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'Bedroom tax' comes into force

80,000 people in our region could lose up to £900 across the year in housing benefit - as the so called bedroom tax comes into force. The policy will see benefits cut for social housing tenants deemed to be living in homes bigger than they need.

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Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has said that housing benefit changes that have been introduced today are about "fairness".

In response to criticisms of the so-called 'bedroom tax', he said: "The reality is this is about getting our housing benefit back into order".

"This is about fairness. It's about fairness to those who pay vast sums of money in taxation to see that people living in subsidised accommodation who often don't use the bedrooms they've got, while others in overcrowded accommodation.... they can't get the accommodation they need.

"This is a nonsense problem that was created by the last government who didn't build enough housing and didn't manage the housing stock properly".

Protestors have held a demonstration in Barnsley today against the so called 'bedroom tax'. The policy comes into force next month and will cut benefits for social housing tenants who are considered to be living in homes too big for their needs.

The government says it is to make the system more fair but campaigners are worried it will leave them struggling to make ends meet.

Bedroom tax protest in Barnsley Credit: ITV Yorkshire

Camping out - protestors in make shift beds in the town centre Credit: ITV Yorkshire